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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A 'A.RHEUTAN. ENVELOPE MAGHINE.

. No. 244,485. Patented July 19,1881.

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A.A.RH-EUTAN.

ENVELOPE MACHINE.

Patented Ju1y19,1881.'

' TIE%;3. 7 Z? No. 244,4 5. I

3 asses,

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ABRAM A. RHEUTAN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WADE HQHILL, OF SAME PLACE.

ENVELOPE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,485, dated July 19, 1881..

Application filed February 26, 1881. (No model.)

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAM A. RHEUTAN, of the city and county of Worcester, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelope-Count ing Machines; and I do hereby'declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a top or plan View of so much of an envelope-counting machine as is necessary to illustrate my present improvements, which will be hereinafter morefully described. Fig. 2 represents a side view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by arrow 1, same figure. Fig. 3 represents a front-end view of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2, looking in the direction indicated by arrow 2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 represents a vertical central longitudinal section through the machine, taken on line A B, Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by arrow 1, same figure.

My invention relates to that part of the mechanism of an envelope-counting machine used for the purpose ofplacing the envelopes in distinct packages after they are folded and delivered to the counting-machine, and is designed to be used upon any envelope-folding machine.

It consists of the ordinary box or trough into which the envelopes are delivered, with two vertically-slidin g bars provided with top plates arranged at the rear end and upon the inside of the side partitions forming the box, for the purpose of giving to each alternate package of envelopes opposite inclined positions; also, the mechanism employed for operating the aforesaid :plates, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to make and use the same, Iwill proceed to describe it more in detail.

be attached to the frame of an envelope-fold ing machine in any suitable mannen In thisinstance it is represented as being supported upon legs or standards I) at each corner of the same.

To the bottom of bed a are secured the following pieces: Large hangers c 0, upon which the main shaft 61 is hung, being arranged to turn in suitable bearings formed in the lower ends of said hangers; small hangers e e, to the lower ends of which horizontal oscillating levers f f are hinged; bearing-pieces g g, in which small horizontal shaft h is arranged to rock, and guideways i 5, through which vertical-sliding bars k 70 move upand down. Upon the main shaft d is secured the ratchet or counting wheel I and cams m m, which latter latter cause the sliding bars k 70 to be operated up and down in connection with rollers n a, levers ff, and small studso 0, which work in slots 19 p in said levers f f. In this instance, levers ff are so fulcrumed that rolls -n a rise and fall only about one-eighth of an inch, and the bars is k and their plates about one-half inch, said movement being governed by the'diameter of the cams m, and by the underside of the plates 1 1* coming in contact with the top of the bed a. In case plates 1" r are not used in connection with the sliding bars k k, as hereinafter described, pins may be inserted in the sides of said sliding bars to stop them at the proper point in their downward movement.

Upon the top of bed a are secured side pieces, 9 g, which form the sides of the box.

Bed w is cut out near the back or rear end close up to the inside of the Side pieces, g g, so as to allow the vertical-slidin g bars k 70 to pass up through.

'lhin plates 0 r are formed or secured upon the upper ends of bars k k, extending in toward the center of the box one-half of an inch more or less, as may be desired, and forward from the rear end of the bedaand side pieces, g g, to about over the center of rocking shaft h, and upon the inner side of saidside pieces, 9 9, near the bottom, are secured Ways .5- s,

which extend from about over the center. of

rocking shaft h, or at the ends .of plates 1 1, forward the full length of said side pieces, and projecting in toward the center of the box one-half of an inch,-more or less, as may be desired. The tops-of saidiways 's s are'ar- I ranged to come upon a line, or nearly so,

with the tops of plates 1' 1", when the latter are in their most elevated positions, so that the envelopes will readily slide along from the surface of the former to the latter when pushed forward by the pusher-plate of the machine. Although, in this instance, sliding bars k k are described and represented in the drawings as having top plates, 1' r, they maybe used without said plates, if desired, by makingthe sliding bars k k of sufficientwidth for the purpose, the openings for them to slide up and down through bed a being correspondingly enlarged.

Upon rocking shaft h are secured fingers or projecting arms t t t, extending up through and above bed a. Upon the lower side of the center finger, t, and extending downward is a crank or lever arm, a, by means of which and spring a the fingers are sprung back when pushed forward by the envelopes, as hereinafter described.

Through side pieces, 9 g, arecutfrom the back end, and extending forward as far as may be desired, grooved ways to w, in which slide or (to which the pusher-plate 3/ is secured) moves back and forth. Said pusher-plate y is cutout upon its under side to allow it to pass by the tin gers t t 25 without moving them when there is no envelope in front of said plate.

Operation: The pusher-plate 3 and slide .10 are connected, through suitable mechanism, with the main shaft of the envelope-folding machine, and have imparted to them a backward and forward movement with each revolution ofthe main shaft of said folding-machine. The envelopes, after being completed in the folding-machine, are conducted through suitable gnideways or feeding mechanism and delivered in a vertical position in front of and between the pusher-plate y and fingers t t t, each end of the envelopes resting upon the plates M, one of the said plates being elevated to its highest position while the other is at its lowest. The envelopes are then pushed forward by the forward movement of the slide and pusher-plate no y and brought in contact with the fingers t t t, which are consequently forced forward and down, causing rocking shaft h to turn part way round in its bearings. By the partial turning of rocking shaft h, as above described, motion is imparted to crankarm it upon the center finger, it. Any suitable and convenient mechanism may be used for connecting crank-arm u with ratchet-wheel 1, whereby the movement imparted to said crankarm, through the fingers t t t, rocking shaft it, slide and pusher-plate m y, and the envelopes, would cause the ratchet Z to move one tooth for each and every envelope moved forward by said slide and pusher-plate. When the envelopes are moved forward by said slide and pusher-plate, they are carried past the circle described by the fingers t t t and beyond the stops 3 45, arranged on the ways 88, bed a, and cross-bar 2, which latter prevent the envelopes from returning or falling back when the pusher-plate moves back, the envelopes being held by said stops, the fingers t t t are therefore enabled to return and assume their upright positions, ready for the next envelope. The envelopes are retained in their upright positions after passing stops 3 4 5 by means of the usual weight, 6, which slides back as fast as the envelopes are moved forward past said stops.

The number of envelopes to a package is governed by the number of teeth in ratchetwheel Z, the usual number being twenty-five. The ratchet-wheel will therefore be provided, as in this instance, with fifty teeth, as the positions of the envelopes are changed at each half revolution of said ratchet-wheell in the following manner: Upon main shaft d, with ratchet-wheel l, is secured, near its bearings and upon opposite sides of said shaft, the two cams or segment parts, at m, which operate the vertical-slidin g bars 75k and their top plates, 1' 0', up and down through levers ff, rollers n n, and studs 0 0, before described. 12 n are arranged to turn upon pins secured in levers ff directly over the center of shaft d. The ends of levcrsff being slotted, as shown at pp, for the studs 0 o, secured in sliding bars 70, as before stated, allows them to work freely when operated by cams m m. fore, be seen that by the opposite positions of cams m m on shaft (1, as shown in the drawings, the position of the bars 70 It and their plates 1' 0' will be changed with every half-revolution of ratchet-wheel 1, thereby giving to each twenty-five envelopes a distinct inclined position, as shown by lines 7 8, Figs. 1 and 3, of the drawings.

The envelopes are retained in their inclined positions by means of the ways 8 8, upon which they are carried by the forward movement of the slide and pusher-plateau y, one end of each alternate package being supported upon the opposite way to that upon which the others are supported, and the other end resting upon the bed near the way, and are so retained to the full length of the box, or until removed by the operator.

Having described my improvements in envelope-counting machines, what I claim therein as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an envelope counting machine, the vertically-sliding bars 7a 7a, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In an envelope counting machine, the sliding bars 70 70, arranged and operating substantially as described, and provided with top plates, 0' 1", substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the vertically-sliding bars 70 it, top plates, r 1', ways 8 s, and bed a, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ABRAM A. RHEUTAN.

Witnesses:

DAVID F. OCONNELL, ALBERT A. BARKER.

The rollers It will, there- 

